Braves: Walt Weiss doesn’t expect JR Ritchie to go anywhere

JR Ritchie made his second MLB start on Wednesday night, drawing a tough matchup against reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

This one came with a few more bumps than his debut. Ritchie never quite found a rhythm with his command, issuing four walks and allowing five hits over 5.1 innings. He also had a pickoff error that led to a run — the kind of mistake that can snowball quickly for a young arm.

But the poise stood out. Even without his best stuff, he battled through it, surrendering just three runs (two earned) and keeping the Atlanta Braves within striking distance. That gave the offense a chance to rally late, culminating in Matt Olson’s walk-off two-run shot.

In a lot of ways, this type of outing says more than his dazzling debut. Talent is a given at this level — every young arm has nights where everything clicks. The real test is how they respond when it doesn’t.

Ritchie passed that test.

And because of it, he doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Walt Weiss said after the game he expects Ritchie to remain in the rotation, with his next start lined up in his hometown against the Seattle Mariners.

Walt Weiss says he expects Ritchie to stick around to make his next start. That next start will be back home in Seattle for Ritchie

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 30, 2026

The Atlanta Braves rotation has been one of the biggest surprises of the first month. This is a group missing four significant arms on the IL, yet it’s still produced a better ERA than anyone else in the league. That kind of performance is tough to sustain over a full season, but the outlook is getting brighter by the day.

The emergence of JR Ritchie has added another intriguing layer, and the return of Spencer Strider — currently slated for Sunday — could be a game-changer.

Even if some regression is inevitable, this is no longer just a feel-good story. The improved rotation has made the Braves incredibly dangerous.

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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)